Print basket



Jun 30, 1959 P. E. HIXON ET AL PRINT BASKET Filed Sept. 18. 1958 INVENTORS PHIL/P E. H/x0/v 5.415;? E. WH/TE' lllul l IIIL IL FL BY %7 A770 /V United States Patent C) PRINT BASKET Philip E. Hixou, Wantagh, and Elmer E. White, West Hempsteatl, N.Y., assignors to White-Hixon Laboratories Inc., Westbury, N .Y., a corporation of New York Application September 18, 1958, Serial No. 761,756 7 Claims. (Cl. 95-400) This invention relates to a receptacle or carrying-basket for use in handling photographic prints, hereinafter referred to as a print basket, and relates more particularly to a print basket provided with means for supplying gas to the processing solutions for the purpose of agitating said processing solutions.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our application Serial No. 673,274, filed July 22, 1957.

As is well known to those versed in the photographic art in the processing of photographic prints, it is desirable to agitate the processing solutions. One of the expedients heretofore employed for the purpose of agitating the solutions has been to rock the tank which may be compartmentized to receive the print baskets therein. Another method of agitating the processing solutions is by the use of bursts of nitrogen gas which causes bubbles of the nitrogen gas to work their way through the processing solu tions or liquids.

Thus, as is shown in our copending application, Serial No. 738,868, filed May 29, 1958, there is shown an elongated tank provided with means for receiving a plurality of vessels which are adapted to contain processing liquids. Into these vessels are placed the print baskets which are designed to hold a multiplicity of prints for processing, i.e. for treatment with the processing liquids. The tank is provided with a plurality of valves connected to a source of nitrogen gas and to a gas burst timer. A jack was placed on the print basket and when agitation of the liquid was desired, the operative connects the nearest valve to the jack on the basket and puts the gas burst timer into operation. This causes a metered burst of nitrogen to be supplied to the processing liquid at predetermined intervals. Air may be employed instead of nitrogen as the processing liquid agitating gas. It was found that this mode of supplying gas to the processing liquid in the vessel and print basket was not as satisfactory as it might be since the arrangement of the single outlet of the gas in jack on the print basket did not make for uniform agitation of the processing liquid. It is, accordingly, an important object of this invention to provide improved means for supplying agitating gas to the processing liquid surrounding a print basket whereby the gas is supplied uniformly over the bottom of the print basket and agitates the processing liquid evenly throughout the whole bulk of the same surrounding the prints carried by the print basket.

Other objects of this invention, together with certain details of construction and combination of parts, will appear from the following detailed description and claims.

In the drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of our invention is shown,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the improved print basket of this invention,

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional taken, on an enlarged scale, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale taken on line 44 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale,

taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 6 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing the means for connecting the tube conducting the gas to the print basket.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

The present form of our invention comprises in general a print basket substantially along the lines of the print basket shown and claimed in our application Serial No.

- 673,274, modified by providing the same with means for uniformly agitating the processing liquid in which the print basket containing photographic prints is immersed. Thus, the bottom of the print basket is provided with a series of interconnected perforated tubes, preferably of corrosion-resisting metal or polymeric material, and an aperture for receiving end of a flexible conducting tube, which aperture is operatively connected to the perforated tubes.

Referring now to the drawing for a more detailed description of our invention, the reference numeral 7 indicates generally a type of print basket embodying our invention. Print basket 7 comprises two end walls 8 and 9, a floor 11 of a foraminous material, such as a mesh of metal wire or polymeric yarn, and a stainless steel frame, generally designated by reference numeral 12, which serves to hold together the end walls 8 and 9 and the floor 11. Pivotally attached to the top of frame 12 are handles 13 and 14. A series of polyethylene screens 10 disposed between end walls 8 and 9 are adapted to receive the photographic prints for processing.

Centrally of the bottom of the print basket 7 and below print basket. The tube 15 is operatively connected to a header 16 at one end of the print basket and a header 17 at the other end of the print basket, and is supported intermediately along its length by a frame cross-piece 18 through which it passes. Connected to header 16 are shorter perforated tubes 19, and to header 17 similar perforated tubes 21. The ends remote from the header ends of the perforated tubes 19 and 21 are supported in the cross-piece 18.

Extending through the cross-piece 18 is a bore 22 extending from midway of the cross-piece 18, where it meets with an opening 22 in tube 15, to an aperture 23 in the frame. Aperture 23 is adapted to receive a nipple 24 carried by one end of a flexible tube 25 which is passed out of the frame through a suitable opening 26 provided in one of the top members of said frame. The other end of the flexible tube is provided with a valve 27 of any well known type which is quickly and easily attached or detached from a valve mounted on the processing tank, the latter valve being connected to a source of gas through a gas burst timer.

The perforations in the perforated tubes are preferably on the sides and bottom thereof, leaving the tops of the tubes free of perforations, thus preventing any of the sediment from the processing solutions, which would normally accumulate on the tubes, from blocking the gas distributing perforations.

In operation, when it is desired to agitate the processing liquid in which the particular print basket is immersed, it is only necessary to attach the flexible tube 25 to a source of gas through the valve on the tank in which the vessel holding the processing liquid is contained. The gas burst timer is then activated causing an intermittent flow of gas to pass into the tubes 15, 19 and 21. The gas is thus evenly passed through the processing liquid to agitate the said processing liquid uniformly over the surfaces of the photographic prints being processed to yield uniformly treated prints.

The modified print basket of the instant invention has many advantages. For example, sediment from the processing solutions cannot block the perforations in the tubes supplying the gas, the gas distributing arrangement is positioned at the bottom of the print basket to provide an even distribution of the gas, and the said gas distributing arrangement is quickly and readily connected to the gas supply valves on the processing tank.

Other variations and modifications which will be obvious to those skilled in the art can be made in the structure illustrated herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a print basket having end walls, a floor of foraminous material, a series of screens disposed between said end walls, and. a frame for containing said end walls, floor and screens, the improvement which comprises means for evenly applying a gas to the processing liquid in which the print basket is immersed, said gas applying means including a plurality of perforated tubes mounted on said frame adjacent the floor of said print basket, the upper surfaces of said tubes being substantially free of perforations, and means operatively connecting said tubes to a source of gas supply.

2. In a print basket having end walls, a floor of foraminous material, a series of screens disposed between said end walls, and a frame for containing said end walls, floor and screens, the improvement which comprises means for evenly applying a gas to the processing liquid in which the print basket is immersed, said gas applying means including header means carried on said frame, a plurality of perforated tubes along said floor operatively attached to said header means, the upper surfaces of said perforated tubes being substantially free of perforations, and means for connecting said header means to a supply of gas.

3. In a print basket having end walls, a floor of foraminous material, a series of screens disposed between said end walls, and a frame for containing said end walls, floor and screens, the improvement which comprises means for applying a gas to the processing liquid in which the print basket is immersed, said gas applying means being attached to said basket below said floor and including a header mounted coextensively with each of said end walls, a perforated tube attached to said headers, a plurality of shorter, perforated tubes connected to each of said headers, the upper surfaces of said perforated tubes being substantially free of perforations, and means, including a flexible tube, for connecting said tubes to a source of gas supply.

4. In a print basket for use in processing photographic prints with processing liquids and having a frame, end walls and a floor of foraminous material, the improvement which comprises means for applying a gas to the processing liquid in which the print basket is immersed, said gas applying means being attached to said frame below said floor and including a header mounted '4- coextensively with each of said end walls, a perforated tube attached to said headers, a plurality of shorter, perforated tubes connected to each of said headers, said perforated tubes being supported in said cross-piece on said frame, the upper surfaces of said perforated tubes being substantially free of perforations, and means for connecting said tubes to a source of gas supply.

5. In a print basket for use in processing photographic prints with processing liquids and having a frame including a crosspiece, end walls and a floor of foraminous material, the improvement which comprises means for applying a gas to the processing liquid in which the print basket is immersed, said gas applying means being at tached to said frame below said floor and including a header mounted coextensively with each of said end walls, a perforated tube attached to said headers, a plurality of shorter, perforated tubes connected to each of said headers, said perforated tubes being supported in said crosspiece on said frame and the upper surfaces of said perforated tubes being free of perforations, and means for connecting said tubes to a source of gas supply.

6. In a print basket for use in processing photographic prints with processing liquids and having a frame including a cross-piece, end walls and a floor of foraminous material, the improvement which comprises means for applying a gas to the processing liquid in which the print basket is immersed, said gas applying means being attached to said frame below said floor and including a header mounted coextensively with each of said end walls, a perforated tube attached to said headers, a plurality of shorter, perforated tubes connected to each of said headers, the upper surfaces being substantially free of perforations, a bore in said cross-piece operatively connected to said perforated tubes, and means, including a flexible tube for connecting said here to a source of gas supply.

7. In a print basket for use in processing photographic prints with processing liquids and having a frame includ' ing a cross-piece, end walls and a floor of foraminous material, the improvement which comprises means for applying a gas to the processing liquid in which the print gasket is immersed, said gas applying means being attached to said frame below said floor and including a header mounted coextensively with each of said end Walls, a perforated tube attached to said headers, a plurality of shorter, perforated tubes connected to each of said headers, the upper surfaces of said perforated tubes being substantially free of perforations, a bore in said crosspiece operatively connected to said perforated tubes, and means, including an opening in the frame and a flexible tube mounted in said opening for connecting said bore to a source of gas supply.

Norton Sept. 30, 1913 Norton -a Sept. 5, 1916 

